Honoring Ed Steckley with the Silver T-Square Award for Outstanding Dedication and Service

Ed Steckley to Receive the Silver T-Square Award from the National Cartoonists Society

The National Cartoonists Society is proud to honor Ed Steckley with the Silver T-Square Award at the 80th Annual Reuben Awards, held in Columbus on August 7th, 2026. The Silver T-Square recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service to the NCS and a deep dedication to the profession of cartooning.

A longtime NCS member, Ed provided leadership and institutional knowledge for over a decade as a Board member and continues to support the NCS behind the scenes. He helped navigate the NCS through organizational changes, bylaws revisions, NCS Fest, a pandemic, and new technology implementations. In addition to his responsibilities as National Representative and then Vice President, Ed was the steady force behind countless NCS operations—doing the unglamorous but essential work of managing the annual Divisional Awards jurying process and running behind-the-scenes production for our Reuben Awards show, bringing technical expertise and reliability to the Society’s most prestigious event. 

His commitment extends beyond board leadership and into cartooning and the community: Ed has been an active participant in USO tours and hospital visits and, during his long tenure as Manhattan Chapter Chair, he built and sustained a vibrant community among New York cartoonists. 

What makes Ed’s service particularly remarkable is that he accomplished all of this while maintaining a thriving professional career. A three-time Divisional Reuben Award winner, Ed is a sought-after illustrator specializing in children’s books, magazines, and advertising. His client list includes Scholastic, Abrams Books, and MAD Magazine. He’s perhaps best known as the illustrator of two Rube Goldberg book series and the award-winning Rube Goldberg’s Big Book of Building. His caricature work has graced multiple Reuben Awards Playbill covers, and his artwork has been featured in galleries and museums across the country.

Ed Steckley exemplifies the spirit of the Silver T-Square: outstanding service delivered with humility, reliability, and genuine care for the cartooning community. We appreciate all Ed has contributed to the NCS and to our industry and we look forward to honoring him at the Reuben Awards ceremony on Friday, August 7 in Columbus.